Vladimir Putin secures another 6-year term as Russian President, exit polls show

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In a significant turn of events on Sunday, exit polls indicate that Vladimir Putin has secured another six-year term as the Russian president.

This outcome positions the hardline former spy to potentially become the longest-serving Russian leader in over two centuries.

With all major opponents either deceased, imprisoned, or exiled, and amidst an ongoing crackdown on dissenting voices, Putin’s victory, forecasted by the government-run VTsIOM pollster, was a foregone conclusion.

The polls closed in Russia’s westernmost region of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, revealing a comfortable win for Putin, projected at 87 percent of the vote.

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The three-day election unfolded against a backdrop of heightened tensions, including deadly Ukrainian bombardments, incursions into Russian territory by pro-Kyiv groups, and incidents of vandalism at polling stations.

The Kremlin framed the election as a pivotal moment for Russians to express support for the ongoing military operation in Ukraine, coinciding with voting in Russian-controlled territories within Ukraine.

However, critics, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, denounced the election as a farce. Zelensky lambasted Putin as a “dictator” intoxicated by power, accusing him of perpetuating personal power at any cost.

Zelensky’s remarks were disseminated widely across social media platforms, underscoring the international condemnation of Putin’s continued grip on power.